Cricut Design Studio

What is the Cricut Design Studio (also known as DS or CDS)? What can you do with it? Do I need DS?

DS is an add on program for the cricut. With DS it will allow you to view all the cartridges available on the Cricut line, weld shapes, create new shapes using existing shapes on the cartridges, conserve paper, layout your designs prior to cutting the shapes/letters, remove portions of shapes just to name a few things that this program can do.

Does this sound like something that you would like to enhance your "cricuting" experiance? Well you too can enjoy the benefits of DS. Provocraft allows
you to download the trial version. What can you do with the trial version? Well you have access to the full program only you will not be able to cut with all of your cartridges. With the trial version you will be able to VIEW and DESIGN with any any cricut cartridge but will only be able to cut with the cartridge that came with the machine (George and Basic Shapes (GBS) for the original bug (baby), Accent Essentials (AE) and Plantin Schoolbook (PS) for the Expression (E), and Don Juan (DJ) for the Create.

If you purchase the full version you will then be able to cut with any shape/letter/cut file from any cartridge that you actually own. Like any computer program it does have a learning curve, however once you get a hang if it it's a great program even when it does have it's quirks and issues.

Do you need DS? Well that's entirely upto you as to what you want to do with your cricut and your crafts/projects. I almost never use my bug without using DS. I like laying out my layout/card/project etc. to see how it will look prior to cutting it out that way I can tweak things first. I also like having the ability to weld my letters together to create words instead of shapes.

Hope this gives you an idea of what DS can do for you. Be on the look out for future DS tutorials.